Posted on 08/30/2004 9:17:14 AM PDT by presidio9
The gay Log Cabin Republicans, backed by such GOP allies as New York Gov. George E. Pataki and Sen. Arlen Specter (Pa.), said Sunday that the party has been "hijacked by the radical right" and demanded that President Bush square his actions with his rhetoric of inclusiveness or risk losing their endorsement.
At a "Big Tent" rally in a park blocks from Madison Square Garden, about 450 Log Cabin members from across the country -- and some of about 50 openly gay GOP convention delegates and alternates -- hailed Pataki, Specter and New York Mayor Michael R. Bloomberg for their pro-gay rights stand, drawing a contrast with the incumbent president.
"When you're talking about gay rights, it is a fundamental civil rights issue, and you ought not to count votes on it," Specter said. "In the long sweep of history, perhaps even in the short sweep of history, those who support gay rights and civil rights will be on the right side of this issue."
For many gay party activists this week, the Big Tent is a place of uncertainty, bitterness and disappointment.
Four years ago, they basked in what many thought was the warmth of compassionate conservatism, meeting with then-Texas Gov. George W. Bush in Austin and backing his campaign for president. Now those leaders say they are confronted with stark choices: to stay home in November, switch parties or support a party that wants to codify discrimination against them in the form of a constitutional amendment banning gay marriage.
Log Cabin members, who cite exit polls showing that 1 million of 4.2 million gay voters supported Bush in 2000, including 45,000 in Florida, say the president has seriously jeopardized his chances of receiving their support when the group's 25-member national board meets Sept. 7.
(Excerpt) Read more at washingtonpost.com ...
I'm straight. Does that mean that I'm a "Nice House With Electricity, Running Water, Paved Roads, and Modern Conveniences" Republican?
Could be worse. They might've demanded a "big tent" in the seat.
Bush is the radical right??
good idea lets have the homosexuals be in the "big tent" and maybe lose the vote of the relgious people but then we can gain the vote of 3 percent of the population thats gay and 99 percent of which would never vote for a republican even under penality of death anyway.
How "inclusive" is the Log Cabin with its gay activist rhetoric demonizing traditional religious believers? People have a right in a free country to have different views on sexual morality, including the morality of homosexual activity. And people have a right to believe that the government should remain neutral and not promote homosexual activity through imposition of same sex "marriage" and the teaching of homosexual activity as acceptable in public schools. Conservatives should be vary wary of the Log Cabin trojan horse whose main goal is to have the Republican Party sign on to the extremist gay activist agenda that seeks to impose a "gay pride" ideology on all of society.
They're barking up the wrong party tree.
Their gay rights agenda is the platform of the DNC.
The day the GOP adopts a pro-gay agenda is the day of it's demise.
A Seat in the Big Tent - or vice versa?
"Is that a big tent, or are you just glad to see me?"
Are ya pitch'n a tent, or are ya just happy to see me?
Since the homosexual agenda is as Radical Left as you can get, their exclusion only indicates that the sensible middle is still in control of the Republic Party.
Maybe the Log Cabin Republicans can go sit with the Pro Life Democrats somewhere.
Shalom.
Beat me! (oops, given this thread, that is NOT an invitation)
Beat you by 00:02.
Great minds, huh? LOL
All problems would be solved if the GOP would just give them upside down bar stools to sit on.
Just don't let them offer to push your stool in.
One Log Cabin member complained that, "my experience as a gay Republican has sure left a bad taste in my mouth."
He has visited NH 8 times already. Have no fear, just like Pete Wilson before him, Pataki will not do well in the primaries.
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